The problem with only having only one
real game store in your area is that, as a game "collector" you start to become self-conscious about how often you show your face around there. Like, I can't stay away from that store. Since they have almost everything I would want, and they are about 15 mins away from me. I keep finding that their prices are based on eBay from 6 months to a year or more ago when they priced them and noticing that they're actually lower than eBay on the titles that keep climbing up. I keep wanting to go back, like every day, and buy more. Was there a few days ago, and now there's another game I feel like I need right now from them. I could wait a few days... and then show up. Or, I could just go today.
I'm sure they think I'm insane. They wouldn't be wrong, but still it's embarrassing to be insanely addicted to games and collecting them sometimes. I have the same problem with GS whenever the mood strikes me to start buying current games. I have 3 GS stores in my town, and I'll go to them so often I feel like the people get sick of seeing me. Like I know everyone who works at every location and what their hours are, usually.
Its such a loose term thrown around by everyone who wants to be "out of the norm" ... again just like underground artists.
I hear you, because if like Metallica left their label and only did independent publishing and stuff, technically they'd be independent. That'd be true, independent isn't a genre, just means they aren't controlled by a label/brand/company.
But indie doesn't mean "out of the norm" people just like to act like it does.
Some bands I've followed over the years have gone from having a deal with a major label, to going completely independent. Self-producing, and either self-funding or raising money for the albums on Kickstarter. When they were with Universal, they had producers and execs telling them what was acceptable, and what wasn't in terms of the final product and how the band would be marketed with their money. When independent, they could do absolutely anything they wanted. There are benefits and downfalls to both.
